Our lives changed in ways we never could have imagined when my husband, Donald, began facing serious complications from heart disease. What started as a medical journey quickly became a fight for his life and a journey that has tested our faith, our family, and our strength.

Donald has battled heart failure along with cardiac sarcoidosis, a condition that caused inflammation in his heart and contributed to dangerous heart rhythm problems. His journey has included repeated hospitalizations, time in the ICU, procedures, medications, and moments when we simply did not know what the next day would bring.

There were days when I sat beside his hospital bed watching machines do what his body needed help doing. There were conversations with doctors that no wife ever expects to have. There were moments of fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion, but there was also hope. Through every setback, Donald continued to fight.

As his wife, I have experienced heart disease from the other side of the hospital bed. I have watched the man I love fight for his health while our family learned just how quickly life can change. This journey has given the words “heart disease” an entirely different meaning to us. It is no longer just a diagnosis or a statistic—it has a face. For our family, that face is Donald.

That is why we are participating in the Heart Walk.

We are walking for Donald. We are walking for every family sitting in a hospital waiting room praying for good news. We are walking for the spouses, children, parents, and loved ones whose lives have been changed by heart disease. And we are walking in hopes that continued research, education, and medical advancements will give more families more time with the people they love.

Donald’s story is still being written, and we are incredibly grateful for every chapter we get to share together.

Please consider joining our team, walking with us, sharing our story, or making a donation. Every step and every contribution represents hope for another heartbeat, another day, another memory, and another family.

This walk is personal. This walk is for Donald. And this walk is for every heart still fighting.